Social justice within assessment/feedback practices in an EAP program

Al Dalati, Sara and Budd, Richard (2023) Social justice within assessment/feedback practices in an EAP program. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Assessment/feedback practices in higher education have been researched in a variety of contexts but the EAP (English for Academic Purposes) program has received little attention as the focus. This thesis seeks to trace the enactment of McArthur’s (2018) conceptual framework by analyzing data gained through insider-research on assessment/feedback practices within the Department of English Language and Literature in a Lebanese private higher education institution. Multiple collection methods, including two types of interviews, are used to explore teachers’ practices and students’ perceptions of assessment/feedback practices in the program. The analysis proceeds in 2 stages. Initially, we establish a theoretical grounding for the analysis of social justice embedding in an EAP program through assessment and feedback practices. We utilize McArthur’s (2018) framework to map how fairness is articulated and aligned, via the locally produced teachers’ assessment and feedback practices. Second, following Trowler and Cooper’s (2002) concept of Teaching and Learning Regimes (TLRs), we argue that there are limitations to the application of an ideal model of just assessment/feedback practices within the program. Findings reveal that McArthur’s framework (five understandings of trust, honesty, responsibility, forgiveness and responsiveness) can be interpreted in different ways, probably partially, and in order to realize assessment for social justice fully, each category needs to be filled out, not understood partially. This thesis contributes to literature as it discusses the practices that underpin socially-just changes within EAP programs through the examination of a case study of a higher education institution in Lebanon. The thesis also has a broader contribution and is of value to EAP and EAL (English as an additional language) using a richer framework around social justice and assessment. The findings potentially add to the understanding of McArthur’s (2018) work, particularly around how these concepts work in practice, and how the partial fulfillment of them falls short of their full potential.